Allegheny

This is another one of those blackberry brandy and bourbon cocktails that I love. The Allegheny is similar to the Black Dog, an Old Fashioned glass serving with identical ingredients in different proportions. This cocktail is more like a bourbon sour with blackberry flavor. That flavor comes from my homemade blackberry brandy (American brandy infused with real blackberries) and a tsp. of blackberry preserves. Here's how to make the cocktail the way I made it. If you have store bought blackberry brandy, omit steps involving blackberry preserves. Your brandy will be sweet enough not to need the preserves.

• 1 1/2 oz. bourbon
• 1 oz. dry vermouth
• 1 tbsp. blackberry flavored brandy
• (seedless blackberry preserves optional)
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• lemon twist

Muddle blackberry preserves in a shaker with bourbon, blackberry brandy, vermouth and lemon juice until it dissolves completely. Add ice and shake. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon twist.